The thing that helped me the most self defense wise in any fighting art was learning that getting hit in the face wasn't that big of a deal, took me about a day. Take from that what you will.

4/30/2011 7:19pm,

The Deliverator

Quote:

Originally Posted by MAGIC HATE BALL

First day that I started training in boxing I realized 99.9% of the world is filled with 1 handed fighters, those using their dominant hand. Most people don't know WTF to do with their other hand. I learned the Jab. Oh, so that's what you do with it? No, wait there's more you can do with your weaker hand? What is this combination that you speak of? Well, look at that.

My eyes open!

Against an untrained jackass, a boxer with 3 months of good training will dismantle said jackass with impunity.

I very much agree. I also think that the excellent defenses you learn in boxing (and practice a lot) are even more valuable than the high-quality punches you learn. Knowing how to parry, slip, duck, and block/catch and having trained the reflexes to do it is a very useful thing. Even more so since it gets ingrained to counter-punch destroy off of most every successful defense.

4/30/2011 7:29pm,

The Deliverator

Quote:

Originally Posted by StepInCross

Okay, okay, I sucked at it. The point being is that there is no payoff at the start. For a serious buisiness hobbyist, having no initial payoff sucks. You can't get into training if you can't even see even a slight hint of improvement(even if its there, if you can't see it, its not very motivating).

I would blame the class if you are really getting no payoff at all at the start. You should at least get taught one move and practice it enough times that you at least know what it is and what you're trying to do even if you're not all that smooth at it.

For example I took a similar class you did for my introduction to BJJ, it was a MMA/grappling type class, in that first class they were working on single-leg takedowns and I learned a wrestling single-leg takedown called "run the pipe" and practiced it about 30 times so I at least took something from the class.

4/30/2011 8:57pm,

StepInCross

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Deliverator

I would blame the class if you are really getting no payoff at all at the start. You should at least get taught one move and practice it enough times that you at least know what it is and what you're trying to do even if you're not all that smooth at it.

For example I took a similar class you did for my introduction to BJJ, it was a MMA/grappling type class, in that first class they were working on single-leg takedowns and I learned a wrestling single-leg takedown called "run the pipe" and practiced it about 30 times so I at least took something from the class.

The newbs and the long time grapplers were rolling together so you can see where I'm going with this.

Being folded like a piece of origami paper by people half your size whilst not knowing what the hell they are doing isn't a great way to learn.

A question to everyone in general, why can't a normal untrained fist standup to the bones in the skull?
*learned that lesson the hard way*

4/30/2011 9:31pm,

yli

Ever look at a long time martial artist's hands? Punching hard surfaces can do quite a bit of damage to the hands, even with training.

A human face is a relatively hard object to hit as well, and in a fight, it's bobbing, dodging and weaving, making you hit at potentially odd angles, which can torque your fingers and wrists the wrong way or rip the skin off of your knuckles if you aren't careful.